Originally recorded on the Whisper E… Read Full Bio ↴Written by: A. Lee and B. Moody
Originally recorded on the Whisper EP in 1998. There are currently 6 versions of the song. A demo version of Whisper contains sound clips from the William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. This version begins with a sample intro from "Death Scene" and "O Verona"[1]. There are a few versions of the song floating around the internet and various bootleg discs. One version has a burst of noise before the vocals in the intro sample (at approx 0:29). Another version does not have this burst of noise, but has distinct 'skipping' sounds that appear after the 0:30 mark.
At the beginning of the original version, the one on the Whisper EP, there is an introduction which is actually a part of the song itself played backward that culminates in a sound clip from the movie My World Dies Screaming, also known as "Terror in the Haunted House" (1958), the same film some clips on Understanding are taken from.
In the Fallen version, at the ending it says "Servatis a periculum, servatis a maleficum", which is roughly translated from Latin as "Save us from danger, save us from evil".
Whisper
Evanesence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drive me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
Don't turn away (don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (god knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (never sleep never die)
I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know
That there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
And soon to be blinded by tears
I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
Don't turn away (don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (god knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (never sleep never die)
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
She beckons me shall I give in
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for
I rise to meet my end
Don't turn away (don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (god knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (never sleep never die)
Servatis a periculo, servatis a malefico...
Don't turn away (don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (god knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (never sleep never die)
Don't turn away (don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (god knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (never sleep never die)
The lyrics of "Whisper" by Evanescence are laden with raw emotions, fighting against despair, and the struggle for survival in a world that seems overwhelming. The song seems to be about the singer's personal turmoil and inner demons that are manifesting themselves in whispers of death and destruction. The song opens with a plea to someone to catch the singer as she falls and tell her it is over. But the words are spoken to the atmosphere, where nobody really exists. The singer finds herself falling into a never-ending loop of pain and suffering, which drives her mad.
The chorus that follows is an appeal to the individual not to give in to pain and to fight it. The individual should not try to hide from the shouts directed at them, lose sight of what lies in front of them, or turn out their light, meaning the ability to hope for a brighter tomorrow. The singer seems to be saying that no matter what a person faces, they must keep fighting and keep on keeping on.
The second verse of "Whisper" talks about how seeing the future frightens the singer. She is so trapped in her own misery that she soon becomes overwhelmed and blinded by tears. But even in such a state, the singer maintains that she can stop the pain if she is willing.
In essence, the lyrics of "Whisper" are about resisting the darkness and the perils that threaten to consume you. It is a song that encourages people never to stop fighting, never to give in to hopelessness, and always to choose life.
Line by Line Meaning
Catch me as I fall
I need someone to be there for me when I feel like I'm losing control
Say you're here and it's all over now
Just having someone's presence can make me feel safe and secure
Speaking to the atmosphere
Sometimes it feels like no one is listening to me, and I feel alone
No one's here and I fall into myself
When I feel alone, I tend to spiral into my own thoughts and emotions
This truth drives me into madness
Facing reality can be overwhelming and sometimes it feels like it's driving me crazy
I know I can stop the pain
I have the power to control my own pain
If I will it all away
I can make the pain disappear if I just push it away
Don't turn away (don't give into the pain)
Don't ignore or run away from the pain I'm feeling
Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)
Ignoring the pain won't make it go away, even if others try to distract me
Don't close your eyes (god knows what lies behind them)
I need to face the pain head-on, even if it's scary, because there may be important things I'm missing
Don't turn out the light (never sleep never die)
I can't escape from the pain by shutting everything out and trying to be numb to everything around me
I'm frightened by what I see
I'm scared of the reality I'm facing
But somehow I know, that there's much more to come
I know that there will be more difficult things to face in the future
Immobilized by my fear, and soon to be blinded by tears
My fear is paralyzing, and it feels like I'm on the verge of breaking down in tears
Fallen angels at my feet, whispered voices at my ear
I feel alone and like there are forces trying to pull me down, and the voices in my head won't stop
Death before my eyes, lying next to me I fear
The pain feels like death is imminent and it's always hovering over me
She beckons me shall I give in, upon my end shall I begin
It feels like the pain is calling out to me and I can either surrender to it or start a new beginning
Forsaking all I've fallen for, I rise to meet my end
I'm willing to let go of everything I cared about and start fresh in order to end the pain
Servatis a periculo, servatis a malefico...
Save me from danger, save me from evil
Contributed by Grayson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.